# Pipe tobacco for a cigar smoker



## Suzza (Mar 18, 2010)

I really want to start getting into pipes because cigars are just getting too expensive. I'm not actually looking for pipe tobacco that tastes like a cigar, but rather has the thick full bodied smoke of a cigar. Every pipe tobacco I've had just doesn't have enough body to it. It feels too light. It doesn't lack flavor, but it just feels too much like smoking tobacco-flavored air. It's just not satisfying.

So does anyone have any recommendations for my unusual request?

And please no aromatics

Thanks!

Here are some that I've got my eye on right now:

Dunhill Nightcap
Five Brothers
Samuel Gawith 1792
Peterson Irish Flake
C&D Ten Russians
GL Pease Odyssey
C&D Billy Budd
GL Pease Robusto
GL Pease Key Largo
C&D Habana Daydream
McClelland Dominican Glory Maduro

Any of these come recommended?


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

It's not an unusual request at all. It's good that you don't have any expectation of draught cigar tobacco that you can smoke in a pipe. You won't find anything like that.

The tobaccos I know of your choices (only a few; Nightcap, 1792, Irish Flake) will all suit your bill. Plenty of flavour and plenty of smoke. And plenty of nicotine. I personally find 1792 too much for me in any normal amount. Some might also classify it as an aromatic due to the vanilla topping it has, but I'm not that cruel. You could try any of the rope tobaccos (known here as Brown or Black Bogie; in the US as Happy Bogie and I know not what.) A little prep work needed for those - slice thinly with a cigar cutter - and again beware the nicotine. 

The other tobaccos a more local correspondent will need to comment on.

I'd also give some of the "lesser" tobaccos a fair shake. It takes a while when you start pipe smoking to taste the subtleties of some blends but the effort is definitely worth it. You'd be missing some real delights sticking to the powerhouses only.

Stick with it during the early stages when you're sure to have some less than satisfying (much less) experiences. Techniques (not difficult) need to be mastered. My best advice is to smoke slowly. So slowly that the pipe goes out repeatedly. Smoking too fast is a temptation in order to get more smoke and the most common fault in technique. (Just reread your post and seems this advice may be unnecessary.)

Enjoy!


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

I do not recommend Dominican Glory Maduro for a cigar smoker. It's primarily a virginia, and you're going to burn your tongue out trying to get the smoke you're used to. I personally like it; the mix of the Virginia and the maduro leaf gives an odd taste you won't find anywhere else. But not for someone in the midst of crossing over. Of the ones you list, I'd probably try Nightcap or Odyssey.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

I'd check out The Royal Yacht. I'm not primarily a cigar smokers, a virtual newbie in that world, but it seems that Royal Yacht has things in common with cigar smoke. Strongish and it smells bad, for example. One of my favorites. :smile:


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

You will never get the same volume of smoke from a pipe that you do from a cigar, and you'll probably burn your tongue if you're trying to. Once you find a couple blends you like the flavor of give yourself a couple weeks to smoke you pipe exclusively. Your palette will adjust to the flavors, and the lighter mouthfeel won't be as much of an issue.


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## tobaccoman (Jan 17, 2009)

I smoke both pipes and cigars. Usuallly both in the course of a day. I find I like burley such as C&D #1 burley flake or Old Joe Krantz to get a kick similar to a medium/full cigar. I have tried a lot of "cigar " leaf blends and find them all to be nice but not similar to a cigar nor are they designed to be .Oddly enough I would recommend the Dominican glory Maduro the most... The cigar leaf blends incredibly well with the Virginia to give a nice full bodied roundness without ever really tasting the cigar leaf by itself. Habana Daydream is also a solid choice with the cigar leaf making itself more known as a individual taste. I smoke both because one really cant recreate the other as a pipe changes cigar tobacco and the way it is tasted . Take a cigar butt one day and smoke it in your pipe. STRONG... By the way as mentioned above any "rope" tobacco from Samuel gawith will be anything but light and like smoking air. Good choices for those looking to have sensory overload but when prepared and smoked slowly the result can be a ride to flavor town.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

tobaccoman said:


> Take a cigar butt one day and smoke it in your pipe.


Works great for when I take a cigar on the course. I stuff it at about the 2/3 point into a Legend and a cigar goes nine holes with no problem. :smoke: followed by p


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## pipinho (Aug 27, 2011)

dark fired kentucy has a lot of cigar like qualities imho


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## samgearhart (Apr 1, 2013)

Suzza said:


> I really want to start getting into pipes because cigars are just getting too expensive. I'm not actually looking for pipe tobacco that tastes like a cigar, but rather has the thick full bodied smoke of a cigar. Every pipe tobacco I've had just doesn't have enough body to it. It feels too light. It doesn't lack flavor, but it just feels too much like smoking tobacco-flavored air. It's just not satisfying.
> 
> So does anyone have any recommendations for my unusual request?
> 
> ...


I'd say 1792 is the closest you're going to get to a cigar flavor and then Irish Flake being next. But I hear ya on the not satisfying part. I'm a hardcore ciggie smoker and struggle daily to try and replace it with pipe smoking but the bottom line is that I just don't get the nicotine satisfaction from pipe smoking that a cigarette gives me. Even inhaling it doesn't quite do the trick. Its just not the same feeling. I still like to smoke the pipe but its hard to make that complete transition from cigs to pipe totally. Nightcap has a fair amount of nicotine but it is nothing like smoking a cigar. From what I've experienced, your 1792 and Irish Flake are the closest you'll find to compare to a cigar.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

samgearhart said:


> Nightcap has a fair amount of nicotine but it is nothing like smoking a cigar. From what I've experienced, your 1792 and Irish Flake are the closest you'll find to compare to a cigar.


Nightcap is medium to strong, 1792 no heavier than Irish Flake, so these are not big hitters in the pipe tobacco world, really, with "very strong", "extremely strong", and "overwhelming" used for the big time Vitamin N tobaccos, not simply "strong:. I can smoke Nightcap non-stop (or most cigars for that matter), but the ropes I cannot. Brown Number 4 is considerably stronger, nicotine wise, than any cigar I've encountered so far, as is Brown (Happy) Bogie. Stronger than 1792 or Irish Flake, but a bit shy of the Number 4, would be the Irish Twist or Sweet Rum Twist. If you want strong (stronger than most cigars), then you have to move to the twist/rope/bogie world.


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## Scott W. (Jul 10, 2008)

I'm a big cigar smoker and have smoked with Chris before. I like the Royal Yacht and Dunhill Nightcap. I also would say Dunhill London Mixture is my favorite. Chris, let me know when you want to come by for a pipe, we can try some tobaccos.


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

I don't think cigar smokers who switch to pipes are looking to be smacked over the head with a nicotine lead pipe, but are looking for the the full bodied mouth feel and plumes of smoke that they are used to when smoking a cigar. This was a concern of mine with I first started smoking a pipe, and one of the reasons I gave up so many times, before finally deciding I just needed to figure it out. The issue is that with a cigar you can easily be burning 10 grams of tobacco in an hour or 90 minutes, and with a pipe you're smoking ~2 grams in that same time frame. There's just no way to replicate that volume of smoke. 

Once someone accepts the fact that they are 2 different animals and each has their own merits, you will find a whole other world of flavors that are not available in one format or the other.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Commander Quan said:


> I don't think cigar smokers who switch to pipes are looking to be smacked over the head with a nicotine lead pipe...


It seemed to me that Samuel was looking for vitamin N, though, and I was mentioning a few tobaccos that would have the nicotine kick he could not find in Irish Flake. As for the smoke volume, I think I could burn about 6g of tobacco in 90 minutes, and depending on how much stub was left to the cigar, the quantity of tobacco could be fairly similar, since I smoke down to ash. I'm a puffer and get quite a bit of smoke out of pipe when I'm clenching and working on something, which is not to say that I don't have the quiet skills for a slow smoke, but rather that I'm a nicotine addict. Not all tobaccos are amenable to that sort of smoking, since most will bit back if puffed, but some don't -- especially the strong ones. :smile: All in all, though, cigars are definitely smokier, I have to agree -- no matter how much it hurts. :lol:

Here's a test for your cigar smoking buddies, Chris. Smoke a bowl of Ennerdale next time you guys are herfin'. If they let you out alive, they're okay. :tu


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## LandonColby (Sep 3, 2013)

I've tried Nightcap, 1792, Irish Flake, and Billy Budd, of the list you posted. And I can say they are all great...BUT, they are all LOADED with nicotine. Nightcap isn't bad at all strength-wise. But 1792, Irish Flake, And Billy Budd...while tasty...have so much nicotine that it burns your mouth upon light up, and 1792 WILL make you sick unless you're a crusty 'ol veteran.

I'll recommend Billy Budd, it has what your looking for while still giving a tasty cigar flavor, and instead of Irish Flake, try Irish Oak (also by Peterson). It's got great flavor, and that thick, full-bodied mouth feel you're looking for..while still giving a pleasant nicotine kick to the nards...in a good way :mrgreen:


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

freestoke said:


> If you want strong (stronger than most cigars), then you have to move to the twist/rope/bogie world.


These also have the advantage of giving your cigar cutter something to do...


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## Suzza (Mar 18, 2010)

So I did my order. I got a tin of Nightcap and Irish Flake, and an ounce of 1792, Billy Budd, and Brown Happy Bogie.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Suzza said:


> So I did my order. I got a tin of Nightcap and Irish Flake, and an ounce of 1792, Billy Budd, and Brown Happy Bogie.


Not often I see a perfect order. :lol: The only thing missing is a "mixer", like PA, but you can get that anyplace, basically.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Suzza said:


> So I did my order. I got a tin of Nightcap and Irish Flake, and an ounce of 1792, Billy Budd, and Brown Happy Bogie.


It's been nice knowing you... :lol:


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## 7ach (Oct 6, 2013)

Came here to say GL Pease Robusto. looks like its already on your list


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## Papichulo (Jan 21, 2007)

I stumbled across this thread. I recommend Dunhill London like the one gentleman mentioned.


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## JustTroItIn (Jan 12, 2014)

I was smoking a bowl of C&D Night Train in the basement last night. When the wife came downstairs she thought I was smoking a cigar. It did not get the wife room note approval. :lol:


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## BryGuySC (Aug 31, 2014)

Suzza said:


> So I did my order. I got a tin of Nightcap and Irish Flake, and an ounce of 1792, Billy Budd, and Brown Happy Bogie.


Make sure you review them when you try them!


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## Gigmaster (Jan 12, 2009)

Try some Gaw-Hog Black, or Brown Irish Twist. This stuff will knock-out a water buffalo......


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